Canine Heroes

I know I have posted about military working dogs before but I saw this video and decided these canine heroes needed to be featured again.

Along with our brave men and women serving our country and protecting all of us, these dogs deserve our respect and thanks too. They find roadside bombs and help to save the lives of our military.

Once their service is done they are available for adoption and prove to make great pets. If you are interested in adopting one of these canine heroes go here.

America Helping Heroes

I received a direct message on Twitter today from Angela Alegna. She is a singer and a patriot. She is involved with America Helping Heroes. This is charity that helps returning veterans deal with the aftermath of war. They believe that the troops that have sacrificed for us should not be forgotten, instead should be helped to have happy, productive lives.

After Vietnam the vets were left to deal with the frustrations of fighting in a war by themselves. On top of that, they were not even thanked for the sacrifice they made. Thank goodness that is not the case with our returning military today.

America Helping Heroes has chapters all over the country in each state. The help returning military with healthcare, legal matters, raise funds for military in need and even help with employment for vets. Please visit America Helping Heroes and see if you can help.

This is Angela’s Christmas video thanking the troops. You can follow her on twitter @ahheroes

December 7 1941

Sixty-eight years ago President Franklin D. Roosevelt delivered this speech. Our nation rallied together and supported our troops who in the end, got the job done.

I was not yet born so I do not remember, but I have been told that it was just a shocking and devastating as 9/11.

We must not forget.

The Messenger

With three months left in the service, Will (Ben Foster) has spent a good deal of time in army hospitals, healing scars from his time in Iraq. To make things worse, the girl he left behind (Jena Malone) has moved on with her life. Ironically, his chance at a fresh start lies in working shoulder to shoulder with Tony (Woody Harrelson), a senior officer who teaches him the ropes of his new post with the Casualty Notification Office. Will, who narrowly escaped death, must now break the news about those who didn’t. Between assignments, these two soldiers form a unique bond that helps them in their struggle to get back to “”normal”” life, fully knowing nothing will ever really be normal again. Proving himself a cinematic craftsman, director Oren Moverman deliberately hasn’t made a political film. The Messenger isn’t even about the military at its core; it’s about people choosing to live life and finding the light and humor at the end of the tunnel. Harrelson and Foster infuse these complex characters with the necessary pathos to raise their story to a new level of compassion. Foster adds yet another layer when Will faces an ethical dilemma because he is drawn to one of the young widows, played by Samantha Morton. She rounds out this powerhouse cast in a moving and elegant film that is an elegy of our time.
CAST
Ben Foster, Woody Harrelson, Samantha Morton, Jena Malone, Eamonn Walker

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Irina Vaysman, (310) 477-4442, Irina.vaysman@42west.net
Rebecca Rosen, (310) 477-4442, Rebecca.rosen@42west.net

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This was posted on AirmanMom’s site. I thought I would pass it on.

I feel the same way.

Military Monday – Video New Marine Ad

I talked about the new Marine ad campaign in Friday’s post. The commercial is out and feel free to watch it Our.Marines.com. I tried to embed it but Woodpress just will not cooperate today.

New Marine Campaign

On 9.19.09 the Marines will launch a new advertising campaign designed to portray what it takes for America’s youth to answer the call to become one of the few and one of the proud.  The campaign is called ‘What it Takes’ and is a prequel to the ‘America’s Marines’ campaign which was launched in January of 2009.

Boot Camp is a very grueling and intense 13 weeks where the individual is basically broken down only to be shaped and then built back up to become someone deserving the title of US Marine. The title is not just given out it is earned.

I never went through boot camp but LCpl Honda has spoken to me about it many times. These young men and women deserve such respect for making it through boot camp. As does every other person in all military branches.

There is a teaser video on Our.Marines.com and you can read more about the campaign.

Thanks Crafty for bringing this to my attention!

Baptism

On Sunday, August 2nd I baptized my daughter Cinderella and granddaughter Butterfly. I was most honored and did so in memory of  my grandson, Lolly Pop Kid.

We are the thirteenth group in the video. It was a wonderful day. You have to wait a few seconds. But it is worth it.

Keep ’em Safe

I came across an article about an 11 year boy whose father is deployed to Afghanistan. Xavier Johnson misses his dad very much just as many other children that have parents  deployed to war zones.

Xavier found a way to cope by making a rap song about his father’s deployment. He preformed the song at a number of military talent shows and he and his father, Capt. Alfonso Johnson made a video and posted it on YouTube.

I found it very inspriring and I am sure most of you will too. If you are military and have children please let them watch this video. Perhaps it will make them feel a little more comforted knowing they are not alone. Many of these kids feel exactly as Xavier does.

Even if you are not military please pass this video on.

Thank you Capt. Alfonso Johnson for your service and thank you Xavier for having the courage to express your feelings along with the talent to put it in a song.